Coffee beans being roasted over a fire. (WNYC/Marianne McCune)

NEW YORK, NY July 12, 2005 —Coffee wakes up millions of people every morning – and a lot of them are too groggy to think much about its flavor or its origin. But even in New York -- where weak deli coffee is still a staple -- there’s increasing interest in what are called specialty coffees.

Some connaisseurs are taking it one step further, and thinking about the farmers who grow the beans and whether they’re getting a fair deal. WNYC’s Marianne McCune has the first of two reports on a coffee project that combines taste AND trade. Part One is more about taste.